Object swallowed

Ituree

Post   » Tue Apr 07, 2009 6:18 pm


Hi,

I've ask for help some time ago, and here I am again. This time, my cavy has "eaten" a label from her blanket. I know I should have taken it off, but I use it to make her bedding cage with a dishcloth and I put the blanket as it was a bed, putting the... edges? (don't know if that's the word, sorry - I'm Spanish) under the dishcloth, but she unmake it an ate it.
I know that I should give her something like mineral oil, which we use regulary because she suffers bloat a lot of times and that's what we use, but she is having soft drops today and I don't know if it's a good idea the mineral oil thing.
She swallowed the label in little pieces (some remained and it's all bitten), but I'm worried because I don't know if there could be complications.
Here it's midnight and I wouldn't like to phone my vet if it's not urgent, but I'm worried.
She is eating, pooping, drinking and active, but she groans more than usual if I touch her belly.
Should I call the vet? Is there something I can do to make her more comfortable?

Thank you very much.

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:26 pm


Pigs are great taste-testers. If it can be chewed on, they will eat it.

It should pass through, without a problem. It was a cloth label? Or paper? It should be out of her system in 12 hours or so.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:17 pm


Ditto, it is likely to pass through with no problems. I would not give mineral oil. Gastric transit time is fairly fast. Continue to keep an eye on her to make sure her digestion is working fine but I don't anticipate any problems.

Ituree

Post   » Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:13 am


Thank you for your answers.

It was a cloth label, and it has passed 12 hours already, but there's no label anywhere. I've called the vet and he told me to give her mineral oil to help but it isn't out in a couple of days I must take her to the vet because she may need surgery.

Now she's resting, she made some normal droppings a few hours ago and now they're soft again.

I have another doubt... Mizu eats everything I use as bedding (pellets, shavings... ) and now that label. I know they eat everything they can, but that much? Many of my friends are using pellets for the pee zone and their cavies don't eat it! I don't know if it's normal or she could be having a deficit of something.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:47 am


The mineral oil may be causing the problem with the droppings, not the label. Please do not give mineral oil. It interferes with nutrient absorption.

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:11 am


Chances are, you will never actually see the label. Its been digested, or packed in one of her poos. She probably chewed it up good, before swallowing it.

In the past when my pigs have eaten something that they shouldn't have, if they're pooping and peeing fine 12 hours later, it has likely passed through their system.

Is she getting plenty of hay? Does she have a friend? It could be that she's eating at everything because she's bored.

Ditto Lynx on the mineral oil. Bad idea. Please don't give her that.

Ituree

Post   » Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:41 am


I have to say that soft droppings began before the label incident, or at least I think so, I didn't notice about the label when I saw the first soft dropping.

But the truth is you're scaring me. My vet has never given me a bad advice, and he's who has told me to give her the mineral oil.
We use it normally and we've had no problems with it. He said it'll help to expel the label...

Mizu is not pooping now, but her belly is fine, not bloated.

About not seeing the label, the truth is that I haven't seen anything, and it's quite logical what you say, she should have chewed it...

I don't know what to do :(

Ituree

Post   » Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:10 am


I've just realised I haven't answered your questions, Pooksiednimals.

- Is she getting plenty of hay?

A lot, always. She has her home full of hay.

- Does she have a friend? It could be that she's eating at everything because she's bored.

I tried, I brought a friend for her, but the friend came very ill and she's now alone again. Now I'm afaid of bringing another one, because Mizu is very dependant of me, is very dominant and I don't know if it would be such a good idea. Her home is large, space's not a problem, I'm worried because of her personality. I don't know if she'll be jelaous or if it'll be better for her.

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:40 am


I have had my pigs eat their bedding, plastic, paper, cardboard, cloth (fleece, towels), shoe strings, rug fibers (and the tassels on the end), the buttons off of the TV remote, electrical wires (bad pig!), paint, table legs (wood, mostly) and even glass (that one put me in a panic). Not all the same pig... although Vicky probably ate most of those. And not usually a ton of it at once.

I never needed to give them anything to help them pass what they ate, and none of them ever had problems with it. Not even the girl with the glass, nor the one that ate the long pieces of string. Which is why I don't think your girl will have any problem with the label.

Its great she has hay. Since she's still the type to eat anything, I think its mostly because she's a taste-tester. It could be that she's uncomfortable? Vicky was most destructive when she wasn't feeling well. I would know she was feeling worse when she'd chew apart the bottom of her cuddle cup. It may be her uncomfortable belly that's driving her to chew things she wouldn't normally?

Does she have other things she can destroy, like a paper bag or cardboard toilet paper tube? She may take to them (which she should be able to ingest without problem) and leave stuff like the labels alone!

Ituree

Post   » Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:51 am


I used to give my first cavy cardboard toilet paper tubes, but the first time Mizu saw one, she put her head into the tube and couldn't take it off ¬¬ So I never gave her one.

Her belly has been ok lately, no gases, no bloat, normal poops. It seems everything is fine, I haven't notice anything and she doesn't show any symptom. Maybe it's because she's bored.

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everly_dawn

Post   » Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:30 am


Oh yes. My boys are both very destructive when bored. They chew and eat EVERYTHING, burrown under their bedding and fling it about...even yank on their water bottle until it falls off and gets water all over the floor/wall/etc.. Fiesty little buggers!

Cardboard toilet paper tubes and paper towel tubes are staple boredome busters in my house. They will play with them forever. I even sometimes stuff them full of hay or veggies and bend the ends in so they have to work to get it out.

If you're worried about getting stuck, just cut a slit in it lengthwise. They can easilly push or pull it off when there is a seam to giveway.

Ituree

Post   » Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:57 pm


It's a great idea! I'll try that.

And I'm also thinking about bringing a friend. It scares me because of Mizu's personality, but I guess she's very bored and maybe lonely. I don't know... do you know some case of cavies that can't get on well with others?

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